Carton-sealing machine



July 16, 1929. w, JQPLIN 1.720.733

CARTON SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 27, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I nil/612 2 67" "d, 0% QAML'a July 16, 1929. w. A. JOPLIN CARTON SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2'7, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 2 July 16, 1929. w JQPLIN 1.720.733

CARTON SEALING MACHINE Filed Nov. 27, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 16, 1929.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. J'OPLIN, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PNEUMATIC SCALE CORPORATION, LIMITED, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAS- CARTON-SEALING MACHINE.

Application filed November 27, 1925. Serial No. 71,852.

This invention relates to a carton sealing machine.

I The invention has for one of its objects to provide a novel and improved carton sealing machine, and particularly a machine for sealing the top flaps of cartons, and with which the sealing operation may be efiiciently and economically performed with minimum liability of the necessity of shutting down the machine because of troubles arising from the handling of the adhesive material used in sealing flaps.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improved apparatus for the handling of, and for the application of fluid adhesive to an article, which is simple, practical and efficient in operation and with which the usual difiiculties experienced in leakage of the fluid adhesive may be reduced to a minimum.

I \Vith these objects in View the invention consists in the carton sealing machine and in the structures, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and; 5 particularly pointed outand claimed at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, which illustrate the different features of the invention as embodied in a machine for sealing the top flaps of cartons, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sufiicient portion of such machine to enable the invention to be understood; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. l viewed in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail in section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4

is a detail in sectional elevation illustrating the adhesive handling and applying apparatus; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of 40 the scraper members; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail in plan illustrating a second scraper member and its relation to the rolls; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the scraper member detail illustrating one of the adjustable bearings for the film rolls.

The machine illustrated in the drawings comprises a top sealing machine for closing and sealing the top flaps of cartons and in essential details and except as hereinafter pointed out, the illustrated machine comprises that shown and described in the U. S.

shown in Fig. 7; and Fig. 9 is a sectional patent to W. S. Scales, No. 930,090 of August 3, 1909, to which reference may be made for complete disclosure thereof. In certain respects as will. be pointed out, the present carton sealing machine comprises an improvement upon the machine illustrated in said Scales Patent No. 930,090, particularly with respect to the apparatus for handling and applying the fluid adhesive such as glue to the flaps to be sealed. In the machine of said Scales patent the glue is stored in a pair of glue pots and each adhesive applying roll is arranged to form the rear wall of the glue pot. Each glue pot is provided with a scraper slidably secured to the bottom thereof and which is adapted to control the thick ness of the film of glue upon the glue roll. When the machine is stopped, the scraper must be moved into contact with the glue roll to prevent leakage of the glue from the bottom of the glue pot, and when the machine is restarted proper adjustment of the scraper must be 'first made. The glue pot is provided with an adjustable bushing curved in shape and which is designed to prevent leakage betwcen the glue roll and the glue pot, along up the periphery of the roll. Experionce has shown that the construction of gluing mechanism of said Scales patent is such that. in practice leakage of the glue occurs between the glue pot and the glue roll and also through the space between the scraper and the glue roll at the bottom of the glue pot. It has been found to be practically impossible in practice to prevent leakage at these points. In addition the operation of the scraper in controlling the film of glue upon the glue roll has not been entirely satisfactory because of the tendency of the scraper, particularly when the machine is started in the morning and the glue is'not thoroughly fluid, to form ridges upon the glue roll.- The glue forming these ridges upon the glue roll operates to prevent uniform distribution of glue upon the flaps of the cartonttTlYi sFaled, and as a result sometimes defectively sealed cartons are produced by the machine. Another disadvantage experienced with the construction illustrated in said Scales patent resides in the fact that oftentimes during the operation of the machine the goods within the cartons are heaped above the mouth of the carton, and as the tities of the goods, such as cornflakes and similar material, adhere to the glue roll and are carried around into the glue pot where they are scraped into the glue pot from the glue roll by the scraper. In 'this manner quantities of the goods accumulate in the glue pot, soon diminishing the flow of the glue and interfering with the operation of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, in general, the carton sealing machine illustrated therein is adapted to seal the top flaps of successive cartons fed into the machine upon an endless belt conveyor 10. Successive cartons are transferred by a pusher member 12 onto supporting rails 14 upon which they are moved through the machine by fingers 16 upon an endless chain 18 running around sprockets 19,20 driven in the usual manner as set forth in said Scales patent above referred to. The machine is provided with one and preferably two adhesive applying rolls mounted upon a shaft 26 driven in the manner disclosed in said Scales patent, from a driven pulley 27,

through gears 28, 29. The machine is also preferably provided with mechanism for s reading or bending outwardly the top side aps of the carton prior to the passage of the latter beneath the rolls 25, and such mechanism is illustrated as comprising a pair of levers 30 mounted upon slides 32 adapted to be reciprocated vertically in timed relation to the operation of the machine and wit-h WhlCh levers cooperate cam rollers 31 to cause the ends of the levers to spread the flaps, the ,construction and operation being fully described in said Scales patent. Provision is also made for folding down the top end flap of each carton prior to the application of the adhesive to the outwardly folded side flaps by the rolls 25. For this purpose the mechanism preferably employed, such as is illustrated in said Scales patent, includes a stationary folding member 35 for engaging and folding down the rear end flap as the carton is moved beneath it and beneath the rolls 25. The mechanism alsoincludes a movable flap folding member 36 which is rocked, as set forth in said Scales patent, in timed relation to the movements of the carton and operates to tuck in the front top endflap prior to the passage of the carton beneath the rolls 25. After the carton has been moved from beneath the rolls 25 by the fingers 16 of the endless chain 18, the side flaps are folded back into carton closing position by suitable folding mechanism illustrated diagrammatically at 40, and which preferably comprises the mechanism disclosed in said Scales patent above referred to. f

. The construction and operation of the parts just described are fully disclosed in said Scales patent upon which the presentinven tion is an improvement, and masmuch as such parts do not of themselves comprise essen- '7 manner as to avoid the above-mentioned difficulties experienced in connection with prior machines. Referring now to Figs. 1 and 3, the mechanism for handling and applying the fluid adhesive such as glue, includes a supply tank or reservoir 42 mounted upon the frame of the machine at' one side of and at a distance from the normal path of travel of the cartons as the latter pass through the machine. The tank or reservoir 42 is provided with a removable cover 43, and the fluid adhesive is pumped from the tank 42 by a pump 44, preferably comprising a standard centrifugal pump obtainable upon the market. The adhesive is delivered from the pump 44 through an upright pipe 45 and through a horizontal pipe 46'to eachof two delivery pipes 47, 48, see Fig. 1. The

delivery pipes 47, 48 are positioned above the adhesive applying rolls 25 in a position such that the fluid adhesive emerging from the ends of the pipes may drop directly onto the surface of the adhesive applying rolls 25. In order to control the quantityof fluid carried by the under or working side of the adhesive applying rolls 25, a film roll 50 is provided for each of the rolls 25. The film rolls 50 are.

prise a bracket 58 pivoted at 59 upon an upright bracket 60 bolted to the machine frame and carrying a bearing 62 for the end of the shaft 52. The bracket 58' is provided with a bearing surface 64 with which cooperates an adjusting screw 65 screwed through a lug 66 upon the upright stationary bracket 60. As the adjusting screw 65 is screwed ,down, the pivoted bracket 58 is caused to swing about its pivot thus lowering the shaft 52 upon which the film rolls 50 are mounted into contact with or spaced slightly from the rolls 25 to accurately control the thickness of the film of glue which is carried upon the under or working surface of the rolls 25. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that the delivery pipes 47, 48 arepositioned to deliver the fluid adhesive into the bight formed between each of the film rolls 50 and its applying roll 25, and in this manner a constant supply of fluid adhesive is maintained upon the adhesive applying roll 25, thus insuring a continuous film of the adhesive upon the under or working surface of each roll.

The centrifugal pump 44 is preferably of such capacity as to supply an excess of the fluid adhesive into the bight of the rolls 50 and 25, and in order that the excess may be returned to the supply tank 42, I have provided a drain pan 70, herein shown as formed integrally with the supply tank 42 and which extends as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, transversely of the machine, in a position under both film rolls 50. The bottom wall 71 of the drain pan 7 0 is arranged to slope downwardly to permit the return flow of any adhesive delivered into the pan from the rolls. In order to direct the flow of the surplus adhesive from the bight of the rolls, I have provided a pair of scraper members 72, 73 for each film roll 50 for scraping the adhesive from the end surfaces of both the film rolls 50, and the adhesive rolls 25, and which also function as guides for directing the flow of the adhesive lengthwise of each pair of rolls outwardly toward the side edges thereof, and for thereby causing the excess adhesive to flow over the side edges of the rolls and into the drain pan 70. The combined scapers and guides are illustrated in detail in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8. The construction of scrapers 72 illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 are employed upon the inner ends of each pair of film and applying ro'lls 50,25, as illustrated in Fig. l, and each scraper 72 comprises a plate of the shape illustrated in elevation in Fig. 5 adapted to be bolted to the machine frame in a position in which machined scraping surfaces 76, 77 are arranged to cooperate with the end surfaces of the film and adhesive applying rolls 50, 25 respectively to maintain these end surfaces free from adhesive and to thereby prevent the accumulation of adhesive thereon. The machined scraping surfaces 7 6, 77 are curved to follow approximately the contour of the rolls and are of sufficient length to prevent the body of adhesive which normally accumulates in the bight of the rolls from running inwardly over the inner edges of the rolls. The scraping surfaces 7 6, 77 are formed integrally with a guide plate 78 which is arranged of sufficient height to insure that the body or reservoir of adhesive in the bight of the rolls is prevented from flowing outwardly over the inner edges of the rolls. Each combined scraper and guide 72 is also provided with a shelf 7 9 arranged to extend over the top of the film roll 50 and this serves to prevent splashing of the adhesive over the scraper 72, as the adhesive falls from either of the delivery pipes 47, 48.

The machine is also preferably provided with combined guides and scrapers 73 for the outer ends of both thefilm and adhesive applying rolls 50, 25, and these are preferably of the construction illustrated in detail in Figs. 7 and 8, comprising a bracket 80 adapted to be bolted to the machine frame and having machined surfaces 82 which engage with the ends of the rolls 50, 25 and function as scrapers therefor. The general arrangement of the scrapers and guides 73 is illustrated in Fig. 4, and it will be observed that the upper surface of the scraper 73 is so located with respect to the bight of the rolls 50, 25tl1at the surplus adhesive may readily flow outwardly over the upper surface of the scrapers 73. The brackets 80 comprising the scrapers and guides 7 3, are each shaped to provide a trough into which the adhesive flowing over the scrapers 73 may fall, and be directed through the openings 85 in the bracket 80, and thence flow downwardly into the drain pan 70 to be returned again to the supply tank, the arrangement being most clearly illustrated in Fig. 4.

In order to facilitate the cleaning of the film and adhesive applying rolls 50, 25, provision is made for cutting off the supply of adhesive to the adhesive applying rolls 25, and for this purpose as herein shown the delivery pipes 47, 48 are connected with the horizontal pipe 46 by fittings which permit the delivery pipes to swivel and consequently to be swung from their operative positions such as is illustrated in Fig. 1 to positions in which they deliver the fluid adhesive being circulated by the centrifugal pump 44 directly to the troughs formed by the brackets 80 from which the adhesive may flow in the manner above described into the drain pan 70 and thence back to the supply tank 42;

From the description thus far, it will be observed that in a carton closing and sealing machine embodying the present invention the fluid adhesive is handled in such manner that leakage of the adhesive is reduced to a minimum, and further that the construction of the apparatus for handling the fluid a l-.

hesive is such that the difficulties heretofore. experienced in machines of this character as above set forth are avoided. The present construction of mechanism for adjustably controlling the film of adhesive upon the adhesive applying rolls 25 enables a superior and more uniform film of adhesive to be obtained upon the under or working surface of the adhesive applying rolls, thus insuring more perfectly sealed cartons and eliminating the shut-downs in the operation of the machine which have heretofore sometimes, been neces sary because of the difliculties experienced with prior constructions of machines of this character, as above set forth. o

In the present apparatus, the adhesive may be continuously circulated, thus maintaining it in a more uniformly mixed and thoroughly fluid condition, most conducive to the efficient sealing of the cartons, and in addition the maintenance of a constant supply of the fluid adhesive the bight of the rolls 50, 25 insures that the adhesive applying rolls 25 v carry a continuous film of the adhesive.

is claimed is 1. In a carton sealing machine, in combination, a pair of adhesive applying rolls beneath which successive cartons are fed with their flaps in contact with the under surface of said rolls, carton feeding means, a film roll cooperating with each adhesive applying roll,

-means for maintaining a body of adhesive between each film roll and its adhesive applying roll, and means for scraping the inner adjacent ends of each film roll and its adhesive applying roll, said means having provision for directing the flow of said body of adhesive over the outer sides of said rolls.

2. In a carton sealing machine, in combination, an adhesive applying roll, means for moving successive cartons past the adhesive applying roll. with opened flaps in contact with the roll, a member cooperating with the adhesive applying roll for controlling the thickness of the film thereon, means for sup- .plying adhesive in a stream to between said member and the adhesive applying roll, a

drain for the excess adhesive thus supplied,

and scraping means cooperating with the ends of said member and roll.

3. In a carton sealing machine, in combination, an adhesive applying roll, means for moving successive cartons past the adhesive applying roll with opened flaps in contact with the roll, a member cooperating with the adhesive applying roll for controlling the thickness of the film thereon, means for supplying adhesive ina stream to between said member and the adhesive applying roll, a drain for the excess adhesive thus supplied, and scraping means cooperating with the ends of the adhesive applying roll.

4. A carton sealing machine having, in combination, an adhesive applying roll, means for moving successive cartons past the adhesive applying roll with opened flaps in contact with the roll, means for maintaining the film of adhesive upon the adhesive applying roll including a supply tank, circulating means arranged to deliver a stream of adhesive from the supply tank to the roll, and means for collecting the surplus adhesive from the ends of said adhesive applying roll stream of adhesive to the adhesive applying roll, a supply tank for the adhesive, and

means for returning the excess adhesive to the supply tank.

6. A carton sealing machine having carton feeding means arranged to move successive cartons with open flaps, an adhesive applying roll cooperating with and arranged with rela tion to the carton feeding means to permit the cartons to be fed past the roll with the opened flaps in contact with the roll, and means for maintaining the film of adhesive upon the adhesive applying roll including a su ply tank spaced from the path of travel of the cartons to permit unrestricted movement of the cartons and means for delivering a stream of adhesive from the supply tank onto the roll.

7. A carton sealing machine having carton feeding means arranged to move successive cartons with open flaps, an adhesive apply-8'5 ing roll cooperating with and arranged with relation to the'carton feeding means to permit the cartons tobe fed past the roll with the openedflaps in contact with the roll, and

means for maintaining the film of adhesive upon the adhesive applying roll including a supply tank spaced from the path of travel of the cartons to permit unrestricted movement of the cartons and means for delivering a stream of adhesive'from the supply tank onto the roll and for returning the excessad hesive to the supply tank.

8. The combination with an adhesive applying roll, a member for controlling the thickness of the adhesive film upon the roll, 1'00 and means for maintaining a film of adhegi ve upon the adhesive applying roll including a supply tank, means for delivering a stream of adhesive to between said member and the roll, and means for collecting the excess ad- .hesive from the ends of said member and roll and returning it to the supply tank.

In testimony whereof I have slgned my name to this specifications WILLIAM A. J OPLIN. 

